Yay! It’s finally time for our first Renegades discussion! I feel like the wait has been so long since I announced this readalong, and it’s been torture. But now we’re finally reading this awesome book, and I’m very happy to be reading it together with all of you, and to be able to talk about it with you guys as well! This week we’ll be discussing from the prologue, up to the end of chapter 8. For those of you hearing about this readalong for the first time, you can find the info and sign-up post here. And if this is the first time you are hearing about Calendar Girls, it is a monthly blogging event which is hosted by Melanie and myself! For more details, please go to my info page about Calendar Girls!

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone…except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

– Prologue to Chapter 8 Discussion Questions –

Note: Those of you who have not yet read Renegades by Marissa Meyerand still intend to read it, don’t read beyond this point (including the comments), because there will be spoilers! But if you like spoilers go right ahead…haha.

To participants: It’s not mandatory that you answer these questions! This is not school, haha. The questions are mainly meant to generate conversations in case some of our readalongers are having a hard time picking something to talk about. Also, feel free to mention and discuss anything which I may not have thought of in the questions below! Please, also keep in mind that we are discussing parks 1-4 at this point only, and that if you have read ahead, that you be conscious about not sharing spoilers. We want to keep this fun for everyone! Please be considerate.

Also! if you do decide to answer the questions in the comments, please number your answers to correspond with the questions. It just makes it easier and less confusing for everyone to keep up! Thank you!

Before you started the book, did you know that there would be 2 opposing sides in this story: the heroes and the villains? And if so, which side did you think that you would side with?

By the end of chapter 8, which side do you side with?

What is your favourite power that’s been introduced so far?

Do you have a favourite character?

If you had been born into the world of Renegades, do you think you would have been born a human without powers, or a someone with powers? And if it’s the latter, which side do you think you would have ended up with due to circumstance or choice?

Whether hero or a villain, which power would you like to have? (Whether it’s a power already introduced in the book, or a power you have seen somewhere else, or made up.)

And which power do you think you would likely have, if you weren’t given a choice?

Why do you think that Max is locked away in the glass room if his power is only strong enough to move little glass figurines around?

Do you think that Ace Anarchy was responsible for the deaths of Nova’s parents? Why? Why not?

– My Answers –

Yeah, I knew that there would be opposing sides due to marketing! There were pins being circulated that said “hero” and “villain” or things along those lines on them. And I figured that I’d probably side with the villains, because I do that with other books already, haha.

Definitely siding with the villains by the end of chapter 8, although I kind of went back and forth throughout this whole first portion of the book!

Hmm I would have to go with Adrian’s power. I’d love to just draw things into existence! And I wonder if he can draw all the books into existence…… Haha. Bookworm priorities!

I think Nova! But that might change. We’ll see.

I would hope that I’d have been born with powers, and I would have probably ended up with the heroes, or no one at all, because I don’t really like the lack of loyalty between the villains so far.

The power of flight! Hands down! Or the power to read really quickly hahaha. Bookworm priorities again!

And if I wasn’t given a choice, …knowing my luck… I’d probably end up with a stingray tail or something. Or lobster hands. Sigh.

There’s definitely something going on that we haven’t been told about, and it’s making me suspicious of the Renegades. Definitely plunges everything into that grey area rather than having things be black and white.

Yes! But just because of a gut feeling. I don’t have any concrete evidence, haha.

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1. I heard there would be two sides in the story because I saw he pre-order bonus with two different kinds of buttons: Renegades and Anarchists. I figured I would be siding with the Renegades, since that is the title of the book.
2. I’m really surprised that I’m siding with the Anarchist side. I think it’s because the story began with Nova, so I’m associating with her more.
3. My favourite power is Sketch’s ability to draw anything and make is appear. That’s amazing and unique, but I think it could be dangerous as well.
4. Nova is my favourite character. Her past seems very mysterious, since we were given a glimpse into her early life, and then brought into the present. I’m curious about what happened in that time she spent with Ace.
5. I think I would have been born without powers, though it would be so cool to have powers!
6. Hmm it’s hard to decide what power I would want to have because there are pros and cons to all of them. I think I would want the power of invisibility.
7. I think I would have the power of mind reading (it would explain all of my migraines!)
8. I think they’re scared of his power so they keep him locked away. And maybe he’s the child of someone dangerous, like Ace.
9. Yes, I think Ace was responsible for the deaths of Nova’s parents, because he suddenly appeared as soon as they were killed. It also allowed him scoop up Nova to care for her.